New Media Blog

By Verity A. Jones | Using social media tools for social justice efforts should come somewhat easily for people in my tradition, the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). But we’ve been slow to adopt the practices. I’m not entirely sure why. Disciples, as we call ourselves, identify as part of the mainline Protestant traditions.

By Monica A. Coleman | For me and many other African Americans, this summer has been dominated by the not guilty verdict in the trial of George Zimmerman for the shooting of 17-year-old African-American Trayvon Martin. Shortly after the verdict was rendered, media outlets announced that one of the jurors in the case had a secured a literary agent for a book deal to describe her experience on the trial’s jury.

By Verity A. Jones | Is social media inherently progressive, politically speaking? Theologically? Last year in the wake of the Rush Limbaugh scandal arising from his attack on a Georgetown University law student who had protested the school’s refusal to cover birth control, Susan Brooks Thistlethwaite of Chicago Theological Seminary observed that social media helped empower the women who defeated Limbaugh.

By Julie Richardson Brown, guest blogger | I am often asked by youth workers, pastors and parents questions along the lines of: “What’s out there that can teach me about social media?” “Where can I find some help figuring out how best to effectively and safely use it?” The tempting answer is, “Well, Google it!” But the truth is, like anything you “Google,” you’re bound to get way more information than you want or need.

By Julie Richardson Brown, guest blogger | I once heard one of the foremost thinkers in today’s youth ministry culture say something to the effect of this—that handing Internet access to our young people without support or guidance is the equivalent of handing a sixteen-year-old the keys to a brand-new sports car with no driving instruction and saying, “Have fun!”